Hi -- I'm new here, and am learning so much from this board! I have a lone female betta in 20 gallon high. She has bottom dwellers, but no other "fish" so to speak. (3 Kuhli loaches, 2 Otos and a Mystery snail). She loves to dart from one end of the tank to the other, so even though I'd love to divide the tank and put a male on the other side, I truly think she'd be upset with half of her space gone.

I really want a sorority of 5 or 6 girls. But I've read horror stories of bully females attacking and even killing other girls in their sorority. I am so attached to this sweet, gentle little girl and would never forgive myself if another betta hurt her. So. . . I was thinking of getting a Dalmation Molly to see what her reaction is, before taking the big risk of introducing more girls. Mollies are supposed to be good community fish, am I right? If they do all right together, I was thinking of getting more girl bettas, then putting them all in my 10 gallon at the same time so there won't be territorial issues. That means moving my male betta into the 20 and putting the girls in the 10. If everything works out, I'll switch them back again. This way, maybe my current girl won't attack the newcomers coming into her space? What do you think? And if one of the new girls is a bully, I'm hoping Petsmart will take her back, as I don't have another tank set up.

I find mollies should be in brackish water... Plus they are bullies. They'd have to be in a group of 3 females, or 3 females to one male...

Actually, I recommend having the females in a 20 rather than 10 to even out space and territory. When you add, you can remove her to a cup and float her with the new ones (please PLEASE quarantine everyone first off) and add together, after a water change It is normal for torn fins to be here and there... It's to say "hey! I'M boss! ranking there has to be an alpha.. and they gotta figure it out!

I have 10 in a 40, and there were torn fins, a booboo here and there... and there, done You also have to pack the tank full of silk, fabric, live plants and hidey holes... >< So they do not see each other 24/7.

Try with a low number, like 4, after you stock that tank full o' plants you shouldn't see one side of the tank from the other, basically.

Hey! Bottom dwellers are fish too! I'm really jealous that you have loaches!
Bump up their numbers, and if she's fine with your other fish, you could start a sorority. Read up on some threads about them first though.